Method for assembling confection serving containers of the push up type

ABSTRACT

A method for assembling a push-up type serving container consisting of three parts, namely, a tubular container body or cylinder for a confection or other edible substance, a piston for pushing the confection upwardly to expose it at the upper open end of the cylinder, and a separate actuating rod which fits into a downwardly-opening socket at the lower side of the piston and extends downwardly through the lower end of the cylinder. The tubular container body also has axially spaced piston-stop ribs on its inner surface. The assembly is made by successively mounting the piston on the stick, and then moving the piston into the tubular container body to angle it into position between the stop ribs.

United States Patent [191 Von Bredow June 26, 1973 METHOD FOR ASSEMBLINGCONNECTION-SERVING CONTAINERS OF THE PUSH-UP TYPE [75] Inventor: Hans D.Von Bredow, Galena, Ohio [7 3] Assignee: Big Drum, Inc., Columbus, Ohio[22] Filed: Nov. 5, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 196,156

[52] US. Cl. 29/407, 29/208 B, 29/453 [51] Int. Cl... B23q 17/00, 1323p19/04, 1323p 11/02 [58] Field of Search 29/453, 208 B, 429, 29/407, 400

[56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 970,669 9/1910 Vallone et a129/208 B 2,852,899 9/1958 Murrell i 29/208 B 3,251,260 5/1966 Serdechny29/453 X 3,398,769 8/1968 Guenin 29/453 X 3,597,826 8/ 1971 Shields29/208 B Primary Examiner-Thomas l-l. Eager Attorney-William V. Milleret a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A method for assembling a push-up type serving containerconsisting of three parts, namely, a tubular container body or cylinderfor a confection or other edible substance, a piston for pushing theconfection upwardly to expose it at the upper open end of the cylinder,and a separate actuating rod which fits into a downwardly-opening socketat the lower side of the piston and extends downwardly through the lowerend of the cylinder. The tubular container body also has axially spacedpiston-stop ribs on its inner surface. The assembly is made bysuccessively mounting the piston on the stick, and then moving thepiston into the tubular container body to angle it into position betweenthe stop ribs.

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SIEH IMF 15 INVENTOR. HANS D. VON BREDOW 3.; 5E; MAHONEY,MILLE asrEBE sATTORNEYS METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING CONFECTION-SERVING CONTAINERS OF THEPUSH-UP TYPE In the last several years, an individual serving containerknows as a push-up container has become popular in providing individualservings of frozen confections and other edible substances. Thesecontainers have taken various forms, but one that has become quitepopular recently consists of an annular tubular body of cylinder withopen upper and lower ends which is designed to receive the confection, apiston which fits below the confection in the cylinder and is slidableupwardly to push the confectionto gradually completely expose it at theupper end of the cylinder, and an actuating stick or rod which has itsupper end fitting in a downwardly-opening socket in the piston andextends from the lower end of the cylinder. These three members aremanufactured separately and must be assembled into the complete packagebefore receiving the confection or other product to be sold and served.It has been customary to do this assembling by hand which requiresconsiderable time and labor thereby resulting in a more costly package.Furthermore, handling by personnel is undesirable for sanitary reasons.

The present invention provides an automatic process for assembling thethree parts of a push-up container of the type indicated therebyresulting in a less costly package. The machine described herein whichis used for performing the method is completely automatic in feeding theparts successively into an assembling chamber, properly orienting theparts relatively in that chamber, and removing the properly assembledcontainer from that chamber. Therefore, the parts are not contacted bythe hands of the operator and sanitation is ensured. Safety means arepreferably provided on the machine for stopping its operations if thereis any jamming of parts in the chamber during assembly or if all partsof the assembled container are not removed from the chamber afterassembly.

, The best mode contemplated in carrying out this invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic axial sectional view showing the three parts to beassembled into the push-up container.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating schematically apparatus usedaccording to the method of this invention in producing the push-upcontainer assembly.

FIG. 2a is an axial sectional view through a tube used in producing thetubular portion of the container assembly and indicating schematicallyhow a pair of annular piston stop ribs is formed at a predeterminedaxial position on the interior thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly cut away, of a push-upcontainer assembling machine for assembling the three parts of thecontainer assembly according to the method of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view, partly cut away, of the assem bling machine,taken from the position indicated at line 4-4 of FIG. 2. p

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIG. 3 shwing the various units for feeding the three parts into thesuccessive receiving chambers of the indexing table and for removing thecontainer assemblies successively therefrom.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly cut away, of theindexing table assembly.

FIG. 7 is a view of a portion of the indexing table looking into thecontainer parts receiving and assembling chambers thereof and taken fromthe position indicated at line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the various units shown in FIG. 5 andillustrating schematically the position of the indexing table relativethereto and its direction of rotation.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 9-9 ofFIG. 8 and showing the stick-feeding unit.

FIG. 9a is an enlarged axial sectional view through one of theparts-receiving and assembling chambers of the indexing table andshowing in section the associated lower end of the stick-feeding unit.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 90.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 8and showing the piston-feeding unit.

FIG. 11a is an enlarged axial sectional view showing the indexing tablechamber which has previously received a stick, loaded with a piston fromthe pistonfeeding unit, the lower end of which is shown in axial sectionin cooperation therewith.

FIG. 12 is an elevational view of the piston-feeding unit taken from theposition indicated at 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 11a.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 8and showing the tube-feeding unit.

FIG. 14a is an axial sectional view taken through the indexing tablechamber in which a stick and piston were previusly assembled, with atube from the tubefeeding unit inserted therein, the lower end of suchunit being shown in axial section in cooperation therewith.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 14a.

FIG. 16 is an axial sectional view, partly cut away, of the finalcontainer assembly.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged transverse section taken along line 17-17 of FIG.16.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 8and showing the container assembly removal tong unit.

FIG. 20 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 19and illustrating schematically the action of the removal unit.

FIG. 21 is a similar horizontal sectional view of the removal unitshowing the container assembly gripped thereby and removed from theindexing table chamber.

FIG. 22 is an end elevational view taken from the position indicated atline 22-22 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an axial sectional view through one of the cylinder andpiston-type actuating rods, with the rod shown in extended condition.

FIG. 24 is a similar view, but showing the rod in collapsed condition.

FIG. 25 is a schematic illustration of the air system of the machine.

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the container parts to beassembled are indicated as consisting of a stick 31, a piston 32 and atube 33. The stick 3] which may be of any suitable material, usually aplastic, is of considerable length and of solid annular or tubularcross-section. The piston 32 is also usually of plastic and is ofannular cup-like form with an annular flared flexible skirt 34 and aconcentric ribbed socket 35 for receiving one end of the stick 31, whichwill have a tight fit therewith when forced axially thereimThe tube 33may be of any suitable material, such as paper or plastic, being ofannular hollow cross-section and open at both ends. The tube is of sucha diameter that the piston 32 will tightly fit in sealing relationshiptherein but can be moved axially thereof under suitable force.

The three parts are manufactured separately for subsequent assemblinginto the container. Various manufacturing methods can be used. Aparticular form of tube 33 is illustrated which is provided with a pairof axially spaced annular stop ribs 36 on the interior thereof adjacentone of the open ends thereof.This arrangement provides additionalproblems in assembling the three parts, but it is to be understood thatthis invention is not necessarily limited to this type of tube. Asindicated, the tube may be produced in various ways, such as illustratedin FIG. 2, where a long tube section 33a is severed into suitablelengths, while it is supported on a mandrel 37, by a unit 38 andsimultaneously the ribs 36 are rolled therein by a roller unit 39. Theenlarged schematic view of FIG. 2a illustrates this action more clearly.

A preferred machine for assemblingthe three parts of the containeraccording to the method of this invention is illustrated schematicallyin FIG. 2 at 40. The sticks 31 will be supplied by a stick-feeding unit41 on the machine 40, the pistons 32 will be supplied by apiston-feeding unit 42 on the machine, and the tubes 33 will be suppliedby a tube-feeding unit 43 on the machine. The units 41, 42 and 43 of themachine 40 are indicated schematically in FIG. 2. The tubes 33 will besupplied to the tube-feeding unit 43 on the machine by a suitableconveyor 43a. The assembling machine 40 is illustrated in detail in mostof the remaining figures of the drawings.

With reference mainly to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, it will be noted that theassembling machine 40 consists mainly of the units 41, 42 and 43,previously mentioned, which are associated with an indexing table 45,that has a container assembly removal unit 44 also associated therewith.For actuating these various units 41, 42, 43 and 44 in timedrelationship to the movement of the indexing table 45, a cam-controlledactuating unit 50 is provided on the machine.

The machine is shown supported by a longitudinally extending base member46 which has upstanding transverse frame sections 47, 48, 49 and 51disposed therealong at intervals. The particular forms of the base 46and the upstanding frame sections are not important, but will be of sucha nature as to adequately support the various units and associated partsof the machine.

The indexing table 45 is of disc-like form and is'supported for rotationin a transverse plane above the base 46, toward one end thereof whichwould be the left end in FIG. 3. It is carried concentrically on abearing and shaft 52 which projects to the right from an indexing drivegear unit 53. This unit 53 maybe of any suitable type which will serveto advance and index the table 45 step-by-step in the proper directionwhich is indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8. The index unit 53 isconnected to the table 45 by a standard overload clutch 53a shown bestin FIG. 6. The intermittent drive unit 53 is supported by a shelf 54carried by the upstanding supports 47, 48" and may be suitably driven,as by a sprocket and chain drive 55'which extends down to the base 46 ofthe machine whereit is driven by a speedreducer gear unit 56 supportedthereby. The unit 56 is driven by an electric motor 57 disposed on thebase 46, inwardly of it, through the medium of a speed adjustment'beltand sheave drive 58. The adjustment is accomplish'ed by hand-wheelarrangement 59 which moves the motor 57 towards and from thespeedreducer 56, the motor base 57a being suitably mounted on the base46 for adjustment by slot guides 57b and cooperating clamp bolts.

"The indexing table 45 has a series of cylindrical chambers or pockets60 disposed at circumferentially spaced intervals about its periphery.Each of these chambers will successively receive the container parts 31,32 and 33 in that order for assembly. These cylinders or pockets projectoutwardly from the table toward the right. The form of each chamber andthe manner in which it is mounted on the table is illustrated best inFIGS. 6, 7 and 9a.

It will'be noted that the table comprises the disc 45a with an opening58 for receiving each cylindrical member 60 which is of hollow annulartubular cross-section and has a stop flange 61 at its inner end whichengages the adjacent surface of the disc 45a and is held thereagainst bya bolt 62. The outer projecting end of the tubular member is open and isprovided with an outwardly flared guide mouth extremity 63. Also, theouter end of the tubular member is provided with a pair of outwardlyopening diametrically opposed extractor jaw-receiving slots 64. Withinthe tubular member 60 and concentrically fitted therein, is what may betermed amandrel 65 on which the container parts are to be assembled.

This mandrel 65 is shown in FIGS. 9a, 11a, and 14a is of substantiallysolid cylindrical form and is fitted tightly within the tubular member60 having a stop flange 65a on its inner end that is clamped against theflange 61 by the bolt 62. The mandrel 65 has a bore extending centrallycompletely therethrough. This bore is divided into an outerstick-receiving socket portion 66 anda passageway 67 at its inner endcommunicating therewith through a smaller passage 68. The outer end ofthe socket 66 is provided with an enlarged annular portion 69 joiningwith an outwardly-flared guide throat 70. The outer end of the mandrelitself is reduced to provide a skirt-receiving outwardly-openingannular'groove 71 between it and the tubular wall of member 60. It willbe noted that an annular shoulder 72 is at the inner end of groove 71and an annular shoulder 73 is'at the inner end of the socket 66. Theextremity 74 of the mandrel 65 is flat and is provided with a roundedannular edge 75. It will be noted that the flat end 74 is spaced axiallyinwardly of the line 76 where the flared mouth 63 terminates. Inwardlyof the annular shoulder 72 and aligning with the jaw-receiving slots 64are jaw-receiving slots 64a formed in the mandrel 65.

The units 41, 42 and 43, previously mentioned, are provided incooperation with the indexing table 45 to feed the container parts 31,32 and 33, in that order, into successive chambers 60 where the partsare properly oriented and assembled. The removal or containerex tractingunit 44, for removing the assembled containers from successive chambers60, is also provided as previously indicated. These units are supportedbetween the frame section 49 and the indexing table 45,

as indicated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Their disposition circumferentiallyrelative to the table 45 is indicated in FIG. 8.

The unit 41 is suspended from top plate or shelf 77 (FIG. 3) on theupper side of the frame section 49. It includes the upstanding stickmagazine 81 which will contain a stack of the sticks 31 suitablysupplied thereto as from a hopper 79 (FIG. 5) which is supported on theshelf 77 and may be equipped with feeding means driven by power means78. The lowermost stick rests in a cradle chamber 82 (FIG. formed in thebracket 80 which protects from the frame section 49 toward the indexingtable 45. Projecting from the outlet end of this cradle chamber is atubular guide sleeve 83 (FIG. 9a) which will align axially with thechambers 60 as they are successively indexed with the table 45. Topermit this alignment, as each chamber 60 moves into stick-receivingposition, the sleeve 83 will pass laterally through the leading slot 64of the chamber wall. A similar guide bushing 84 is provided at the otherend of the chamber 82 in a bore bracket 80, for guiding a slidable stickpush-rod 85 for successively ejectsticks 31 from the cradle chamber 82as they drop thereinto.

The rod 85 extends through an opening 93 in the frame section 49 (FIG.9) and its outer end is anchored in a tubular member 86 which slidablytelescopes over a tubular support 87 that is rigidly mounted on theframe section 51 and projects outwardly to the left therefrom. A collar88 is welded in position around the end of member 86 and has a guideroller 89 disposed in a guide track 90 supported between the framesections 49 and 51. At a diametrically opposed point, a pivot connection91 is provided for connecting the member 86 to an actuating rod 92 whichwill be referred to later. Reciprocation of rod 92 will producereciprocation of the stick-feed push rod 85.

When the rod 85 is moved to the left (FIG. 9a), the lowermost stick 31is pushed through the guide sleeve 83 into the aligning socket 66. Theflared throat 70 will guide the stick into the socket and it will stoponly when its inner end reaches the shoulder 73 at the inner end of thesocket. At this time, the outer end of the stick will extend beyond theannular socket portion 69 into the flared throat 70. As the chamber 60is advanced, the tubular guide 83 will pass laterally through thetrailing slot 64 thereof. When the rod 85 is withdrawn to the positionshown in this Figure, the next stick 31 will drop into the cradlechamber 82 into position to be subsequently pushed therefrom.

The particular chamber 60 with the stick 31 therein as indicated, willnext be indexed, by rotation of the table 45, into cooperation with thepiston feeding unit 42 which is indicated best in FIGS. 11, 11a and 13.This unit includes a tubular guide sleeve 95 which is carried by theframe section 49 and projects to the left toward the table 45. Its outerend will beso disposed that the chambers 60 will be indexed successivelyinto axial alignment therewith at which time the outer extremities ofthese members will be closely adjacent, as indicated in these Figures.This guide sleeve 95 is angularly spaced from the sleeve guide 83 of thestick-feeding unit 41, in the direction of advancing rotation of thetable 45 as will be apparent from FIGS. 5 and 8. Pistons 32 are adaptedto be fed into the outer end of the guide sleeve 95 through a transverseslot 96, greater than a semi-circle, formed in the top thereof adjacentthe outer extremity thereof. These pistons are fed succes- Sively fromthe lower end of a magazine which will support a stack of thosejpistonson edge with their skirts 34 directed to the left toward the table 45.The magazine is formed by a plurality of vertical rods 97 arranged intwo pairs, one of which terminates above the sleeve (FIG. 13) and theother of which straddles the member 95 at each side of the slot 96, asindicated at 97a, to prevent lateral displacement of the piston fromthat slot. The magazine may receive the pistons 32 from a suitablesupplying and orienting device, but not shown. The lowermost piston 32will drop through the slot 96 and rest on the wall of the sleeve 95ready to be pushed outwardly through the open mouth 95a thereof and intothe cooperating chamber 60.

The pushing of the piston 32 from the sleeve 95 is accomplished by meansof a cylindrical pusher member 100 which is slidably mounted in theannular tubular sleeve 95. This member has a tapered forward end 101with a flat outer piston-engaging face 102 provided with a transverseslot 103 to prevent sticking to the piston 32. The sleeve 95 is providedwith an attaching flage 104 which is bolted to the frame section 49(FIG. 11) around the pilot opening 105 through which the rear end of thepusher member 100 projects. The rear portion of the member 100 istubular and telescopes slidably over amounting tubular support 106 thatis fixed to the frame section 51 and projects outwardly therefrom to theleft. A collar 107 is welded in position around the outer end of member100 and has a guide roller 108 disposed in a guide track 109supportedbetween the frame sections 49 and 51. At a diametrically opposite point,a pivot connection 110 is provided for connecting the member 100 to anactuating rod 111 which will be referred to later. Reciprocation of rod111 will produce reciprocation of the piston push member 100.

When the piston 32 is pushed into the chamber 60, it is guided thereinby the flared mouth 63. The skirt 34 of the piston will be guided overthe reduced end of the mandrel 65 into the outwardly opening annulargroove 71 and will move therein until the flat wall of the pistoncontacts the flat end 74 of the mandrel but the inner edge of the skirtnever engages the shoulder 72. At the same time, the socket member 35will be advanced over the projecting end of the stick 31, its leadingend being guided by the flared throat 70 into the associated exposed endof the stick, the enlargement 69 of the stick socket 65 permitting thisadvance. The socket will have a tight fit with the stick and willnormally be frictionally held thereon. When the piston is finally inposition on the end of the stick as shown in FIG. 11a, the piston willbe axially inwardly of the line 76 a substantial distance. It will benoted that skirt 34 will embrace the reduced outer end of the mandrel 65so that it will be within the outer circumference of the main part ofthe mandrel sufficient to produce clearance for the tube 33 tosubsequently slip over the skirt. The inner end of the socket 35 alsowill not engage with the mandrel, so that engagement of the flat outerwall of the piston with the mandrel end 74 is permitted.

The particular chamber 60 with the assembled stick 31 and piston 32therein as indicated in FIG. 11a, will next be indexed by rotation ofthe table 45 into cooperation with the tube-feeding unit 43 which isindicated best in FIGS. 14, 14a and 15. This unit includes a tubularguide sleeve 115 which has an attaching flange 116 (FIG. 14) that isbolted to the frame section 49 around the pilot opening 117 and projectsto the left around the table 45. The outer end of the sleeve 115 will beso disposed that the chambers 60 will be indexed successively into axialalignment therewith, at which time the outer extremities of thesemembers will be closely adjacent. This guide sleeve 115 is angularlyspaced from the guide sleeve 95 of the piston-feeding unit 42, in thedirection of advancing rotation of the table 45, as will be apparentfrom FIGS. and 8. Tubes 33 are adapted to be fed successively into theouter end of the guide sleeve 115 through a transverse slot 116, greaterthan a semi-circle, formed in the top thereof adjacent the outerextremity thereof. These tubes are fed successively from the lower endof a magazine, which will support a stack of these tubes with one openend directed to the left toward the table 45. This end will be the oneadjacent which the annular stop ribs 36 are formed. The magazine isformed by a plurality of vertical rods 117 arranged in two pairs, one ofwhich terminates above the sleeve 115, (FIG. and the other of whichstraddles the member 115 at each side of the slot 116, as indicated at117a, to prevent lateral displacement of a tube from that slot. Themagazine will receive the tubes from the conveyor 43a previouslymentioned. The lowermost tube 33 will drop through the slot 116 and reston the wall of the guide sleeve 115 ready to be pushed outwardly fromthe open mouth 119 into the cooperating chamber 60, it being noted thatthe spacing between members 115 and 60 is less than the length of a tube33. Also, it will be noted that the sleeve 115 has an internal diameterslightly greater than the tube 33 which it receives.

The pushing of the tube 33 from the sleeve 115 is accomplished by meansof a cylindrical pusher member 120 (FIGS. 14 and 14a) which is slidablymounted in the annular tubular sleeve 115 and extends outwardly throughthe opening 119. This member 120 has a downwardly tapered or chamferedsurface 121 at its upper leading edge to prevent crushing of the tubenext above in the magazine. The rear portion of the member 120 istubular and telescopes slidably over a mounting tubular support 122 thatis fixed to the frame section 51 and projects outwardly therefrom to theleft. A collarl23 is welded in position around the rear end of member120 and has a guide roller 123a disposed in a guide track 124 supportedbetween the frame sections 49 and 51. At a diametrically opposed point,a pivot connection 126 is provided for connecting the member 120 to anactuating rod 125 which will be referred to later. Reciprocation of therod 125 will produce reciprocation of the tube push member 120.

Advancing of the member 120 in the guide sleeve 115, pushes thelowermost tube 33 therefrom and into the axially aligning chamber 60.The tapered surface 121 will prevent engagement with the tube above inthe magazine. The forward open end of the tube will be projected intothe flared mouth 63 of the chamber 60 which will guide it and center itin that chamber. The leading open end of the tube will be moved beyondthe line 76 and centered relative to the piston 32 already in thechamber 60. Obviously, tube 33 is slightly greater in diameter than thepiston 32 and is of greater axial extent than the spacing of mouth 63and the adjacent end of the wide sleeve 115. The tube end will be forcedover the mandrel-supported piston skirt into the annular groove 71,around the skirt, and will be moved axially therein until the leadingedge of the skirt contacts the inner end 72 of the groove. At this time,the leading stop rib 36 will snap ahead of the piston skirt edge and thetrailing rib will be located just behind the piston, as shown in FIG.14a. This locks the piston 32 in a definite axial position within thetube 33.

The particular chamber 60 with the final container assembly therein, asindicated in FIG. 14a, will next be indexed, by rotation of the table45, into cooperation with the container removal or extracting unit 44which is indicated best in FIGS. 19 and 22. This unit is of the pivotedtong type and includes a pair of extracting jaw members which are ofbellcrank form and are pivoted at 129 to a support block 128. The outeror forward end of each of the members 130 is provided with acontainer-engaging jaw 131. Jaws 131 are adapted to engage the sides ofthe tube 33 at diametrically opposed points. Lugs 131a at the extremeouter ends of the jaws 131 are provided for projecting inwardly over theend of the tube. These jaws will be diametrically opposed and willproject inwardly towards each other and when actuated will enter thechamber 60, to grip the tube 33 of the container assembly, through thediametrically opposed slots 64. The jaw member support block 128 isfixed to the outer or forward end of a cylindrical tubular supportmember 132 which is angularly spaced in the direction of advancingrotation of the table 45, as will be apparent from FIGS. 5 and 8. Themember 132 is mounted for axial reciprocation and in its retractedposition (FIG. 20) the block 128 will be adjacent the frame section 49which is provided with a large opening 133 to prevent interference withthe members 130 and associated parts. These parts include a cylinder andpiston unit 134, preferably airoperated, for actuating each jaw member130. The unit 134 is supplied with air through a line 135 to swing thejaw 130 inwardly and the jaw may be spring-returned, when the pressureis exhausted. Each unit 134 is pivotally connected at 136 to thebellcrank jaw member 130 and at 137 to a collar 138 which is welded inposition around the tubular support 132 at a point spaced axiallyrearwardly from the member 128.

The member 132 is slidably telescopically mounted on a mounting tubularsupport 140 (FIG. 19) that is fixed to the frame section 51 and projectsinwardly therefrom to the left. A collar 141 is welded in positionaround the rear end of the member 132 and has a guide roller 142disposed in a guide track 143 supported between the frame sections 49and 51. At a diametrically opposed point, a pivot connection 144 isprovided for connecting the member 132 to an actuating rod 145 whichwill be referred to later. Reciprocation of the rod 145 will producereciprocation of the tong support member 132.

In extracting the assembled container from the chamber 60, the support132 is moved to the left to the position indicated in broken lines inFIG. 20 where the jaw members 130 are swung inwardly towards each otherto cause the jaws 131 thereof to move through the slots 64 and grip thesides of the tube 33 as well as to move the lugs 131a into mandrel slots64a behind the tube. As indicated, the jaws 131 are moved into grippingposition by simultaneous actuation of the two units 134. The member 132is then retracted or moved to the right to the full line positionindicated in this Figure to extract the assembled container from thechamber 60. The tong unit, with the extracted container carried

1. The method of assembling a container comprising a tube with an openend having axially spaced stops on its inner surface within the end, apiston having axially spaced ends to be fitted into the tube betweensaid stops and having a stick-receiving socket opening toward the openend of the tube, and a stick for fitting into said piston socket, whichcomprises: holding the stick in a fixture with its end projectingtherefrom, positioning the piston relative to the fixture-supportedstick to move the open end of the piston socket over the projecting endof the stick, and slipping the open end of the tube axially over theexterior of the fixture-supported stick-mounted piston until the tubeengages stop means on the fixture so that the axially spaced stops ofthe tube engage the ends of the piston respectively to locate the pistonaxially in the tube.
 2. The method according to claim 1 in which: thepiston of the container to be assembled has an axially-projecting skirtwithin its ends and the stick-receiving socket of the piston is locatedcentrally within the skirt and projects axially in the same direction,said fixture having a stick-receiving socket in which the stick isdisposed with its end projecting from said fixture socket and saidfixture having a surrounding end portion over which the piston skirt isfitted simultaneously with the positioning of the piston stick-receiVingsocket over the projecting end of the stick, the open end of the tubebeing slipped axially over the supported skirt.
 3. The method of claim 2in which: the fixture is provided with the tube-engaging stop means inthe form of a stop-shoulder for limiting axial movement of the tube overthe piston skirt and which is located axially inwardly of the edge ofthe supported skirt, and the stick-receiving socket of the fixture isenlarged at its outer end so as not to contact with the inner edge ofthe piston stick-receiving socket as it is moved onto the stick.
 4. Themethod of claim 3 in which: the axially spaced stops in the tube areribs adjacent its open end, and the open end of the tube is slipped overthe skirt of the piston until the leading rib snaps over the inner endof the skirt of the piston and the following rib contacts with the outerextremity of the piston.